Our policy work in Kenya

Wetlands International and partner organisation African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) recognise the importance of the increasing threats to the Kimana Wetlands and decided to reduce some of the threats by looking at the policy components and building the capacity of the community institution that would ensure the use and management of the wetlands in a sustainable manner.

No specific wetland institutions

For a long time, wetlands conservation in Kenya has been cross-sectoral in nature with no specific institutions charged with the management. A number of government agencies, NGOs and community based organizations have in various capacities implemented wetlands conservation, management and utilization in a manner that has not always been consistent with previous or existing efforts due to the absence of a coordinated National Wetlands Policy.

Kenya’s National Wetland Policy

The National Wetland Policy is therefore the policy that the Kenya Demo project is trying to push through. In the past six months AWF in collaboration with Kenya Wetlands Forum have been directing its efforts towards sound legislation and policy for sustainable wetlands management, community and other stakeholder involvement and participation. Key to the process is lobbying for a fully integrated policy, legal and institutional framework at the national level with the Kimana Wetlands as a cutting edge example.